Hardin-Northern’s Carter Curtis (left) finishes ahead of Ottoville’s Kellen Schlagbaum during the 800 relay at Friday night’s Division III regional at Fostoria Memorial Stadium. Several Lima area competitors were chasing state berths at Friday regionals. Scan the QR code for a regional report.
FOSTORIA — It’s a three-peat for the Columbus Grove boys track and field program.
Columbus Grove’s terrific start in the field events helped propel the Bulldogs to their third consecutive regional team title Friday at the Division III regional track and field meet at Fostoria’s Dick Kidwell Field.
The top four placers in each event at the regional meet automatically qualify for the state meet, which is held this coming Friday and Saturday at Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. There are also provisional state qualifiers to be named later. Provisional state-qualifiers are athletes who have the next two best performances in each event, statewide in their respective division.
On Friday, the second and final day of the two-day regional meet, Columbus Grove won the boys team title with 85 points. Tinora was second with 55 points, while Margaretta (43) was third. Ottawa Hills and Bluffton tied for fourth with 42 points each.
On the girls’ side, Liberty-Center won the regional team title with 76.5 points, while Margaretta was second (66). Wayne Trace (58), Woodmore (57) and Coldwater (46) rounded out the top five teams.
Between Wednesday (first day of the regional meet) and Friday, the Columbus Grove boys throwers accounted for 33 points.
Wednesday, Columbus Grove seniors Lawson Maag and Tadd Koch finished 1-2, respectively, in the discus. Maag’s winning toss of 182 feet, 6 inches was a new personal record. Koch’s best toss Wednesday was 174-2. Leipsic’s Seth Apple placed third in the discus (173-2).
In Friday’s shot put, Columbus Grove seniors AJ Schafer and Koch finished first and fourth, respectively. Upper Scioto Valley’s Kevin Smith was third (50-5.75).
Schafer’s winning toss of 58-8.75 in the shot put broke his previous school-record. Margaretta’s JT Patrick was a close second (57-1).
“I knew it was going to be a tough one,” Schafer said about Friday’s shot put. “He (Patrick) is a good competitor. He’s been at regionals the past three years. He’s been really good competition.”
Schafer is making a return to the Division III state meet. Last season, he was a state-qualifier in the shot put.
Koch was pleased to qualify for the Division III state meet in both throwing events. Last season, Koch placed third in the discus.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Koch said about advancing to the state meet in two events. “At the beginning of the year I didn’t expect to get out in shot. It is pretty cool to go in both.”
Maag, who is heading to Ohio State next school year to compete in throws, was excited about Wednesday’s regional title in the discus. Last season, Maag placed 10th in the discus at the Division III state meet.
“I think we (Maag and Koch) are sitting 1-2 in the state right now. We’re feeling pretty good,” Maag said. “We will get in a really good lift this week. I think we’re going to be really pumped when we get to the state meet.”
Koch will be competing in track and field next school year at the University of Findlay. Schafer will be playing football next year at Indiana Wesleyan University.
Columbus Grove boys head coach Chris Grothaus was pleased at how his team came together this week.
“To win our third straight regional championship – we’re ecstatic,” Grothaus said. “I have the best group of seniors that you can have, and the best assistant coaches that I can have. My assistant coaches don’t get enough credit. This senior class works as hard as any class that I’ve ever had. (Winning) three regional titles in a row is not an easy thing. I’m really proud of these guys of what they did the last couple days.”
On the track Friday, Columbus Grove’s Zach Reynolds placed second in the 110-meter hurdles (15.71 seconds).
In the 3,200, Columbus Grove’s Luke Ellerbrock finished second (9:31.42). Ottawa Hills’ Riley Nixon won the 3,200 in a new stadium record time of 9:29.54. Bluffton’s Erik Nygaard was fourth (9:38.73), to capture the final automatic state-qualifying finish.
Regional results for Friday, May 26
Bluffton’s 3,200 relay sets meet record
Wednesday, the Bluffton boys 3,200-meter relay (Sam Derstine, Erik Nygaard, Eden Antrim, Landon Armstrong) won in a regional meet-record time of 7:57.92.
Friday, in the 800, Armstrong got edged out at the finish line by Tinora’s Jaxen Durfey. Durfey’s winning time was 1:55.72. Armstrong finished in 1:55.98. Hardin Northern’s Zeb Wilson was a very close third (1:56.19).
“I started my kick a little early,” Armstrong said about the 800 race. “I was trying to get away from them, because some of these guys also ran the mile (1,600). I was hoping that the little gap I gave them would fight them off, so I would have an easier finish. But they came right up on me.”
Last spring, Armstrong placed fourth in the 800 at the state meet. Bluffton’s 3,200 relay finished third at last year’s state meet (with the same runners).
Coldwater’s Zahn qualifies in three events
Sophomore Izzy Zahn is going to the Division III state meet in three events.
Friday, Zahn won the 200 (24.72), and finished second in the 100 (12.46). Zahn also was part of the 800 relay that placed fourth.
“I just had to tell myself to get out fast, push and get toward the front,” Zahn said after winning the 200 on Friday.
Kalida’s Hovest advances in both throwing events
Kalida senior Camille Hovest placed second in discus (138-11) and second in the shot put (38-7.75).
“It feels good (to qualify for the state meet),” Hovest said. “I felt pretty confident. … I knew I could make it.”
P-G’s vaulter soars past competition
Pandora-Gilboa’s Andrew Suter won Wednesday’s pole vault with a clearance of 14-0.
Bluffton’s Taber wins pole vault
Bluffton’s Brianna Taber won the pole vault Friday with a height of 10-8.
Ottoville’s Schlagbaum hurdles past competition
Ottoville senior Kellen Schlagbaum won the 300 hurdles (38.78) and placed third in the 110 hurdles (15.74) on Friday. He also was on the third-place 800 relay and the fourth-place 400 relay.
“It’s been a good day,” Schlagbaum said. “I knew it was going to be a close race in everything. So, it just came down who was going to have the better day.”
Last season, Schlagbaum placed fifth in the 300 hurdles at the state meet.
Leipsic’s Hiegel wins two events
Senior Hayden Hiegel won the 100 (11.12) and 200 (22.60) Friday.
“I’m really excited,” Hiegel said. “The last few years I wasn’t healthy, coming in here. I felt healthy today, and I took advantage of it.”
Troy Division III regional
The Minster girls and Marion Local boys won team titles.
The Minster girls finished with 88 points with Fort Loramie (47.5) second. Fort Recovery tied for fifth and Cece Worsham posted enough points on her own to give Temple Christian a 10th place finish with 22 points.
Worsham won the 100 meter hurdles, finished second in the 200 and posted a fifth place in the 100.
Alex Kessen (100) from Delphos St. John’s, Delphos Jefferson’s Lyv Lindeman (300 hurdles), Marion Local’s Ava Ranly (high jump), Minster’s Taylor Roth (800) and Fort Recovery’s Mara Pearson (long jump) were among the individual event winners.
Minster also won the 400 (Keri Heckman, Kylie Williams, Anna Kohne, Anna Larger), 800 (Kylie Williams, Anna Larger, Cameo Cedarleaf, Keri Heckman) 1,600 (Keri Heckman, Cameo Cedarleaf, Ava Stammen, Taylor Roth) and 3,200 (Margaret Hemmelgarn, Annie Hemmelgarn, Maria Niekamp, Taylor Roth) relays.
The Marion Local boys finished with 72 points. Anna (41) was second. Minster (29) tied for sixth.
Marion Local’s Nate Buschur (pole vault), the Allen East 400 (Jacob Hershberger, Jackson Friesner, Isen Schafer, Trey Hensley) and 800 (Jacob Hershberger, Jackson Friesner, Isen Schafer,Trey Hensley) relay teams, the Marion Local 1,600 relay team (Tate Hess, Andrew Pohlman, Wesley Schoen, Owen Rindler) and St. Henry’s Dustin Quinter (shot put) all finished first.
Amherst Division I regional
Shawnee’s Akyus Richardson won the boys shot put.
Reach The Lima News sports department at 567-242-0451.
